The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-05-27

One of the Favorite Sports of the Dwell
ers In Lower California.

ers In Lower California.
There she is,''
Don't fire..
give the dogs chance!"
They and many other disconnected
sentences came from n crowd of ladies
and gentlemen who, well mounted and
close upon pack of eager hounds, were
| pushing into n thick patch of under
brush Ia the center of the Arroyo Seco, a
dry canon or river just back of Passa-
dena. Cal.
Here the gulch was well filled with tall
trees from whose branches there fell in
rich fcstoons masses of wild grape and
clematis that formed ropes that deity
caught riders beneath the chin, and so
tied up the dogs that they often became
fouled and yelped and howled in impo-
tent rage. The party had started half a
mile below in the clearing and had fol-
lowed UP the eager dogs that had now
freed game of some kind, and, as they
gathered about the broken poplar high
up in one of Tie branches, there appeared
. long, 1.-the body clinging to the limb,
while over the side peered the ugly face
of the wheat. Excitement had been at
fever pitch when the hounds struck the
trail hut now that the animal was in
full viryy. it fairly boiled oyer. even the
horsc3 appearing to be carried away
by it.
stand back, Iadies,'' -',outed the
nlast,f Cf the hounds, who carried a
hight r.,lc, sometimes a cat will jump
for Lcr life. and they viii scratch when
they Ilnd.''
The I:ldies fell back n little, and
youngster i'll the party volunteered to
climb the tree and dislodge the common
enemy. Handing the bride of his horse
to rider, he seized the pendent grape
vino AMI swung up into the tree, and
few moments later was making his way
alons the branch toward the crouching
cat. She was SO intcntly engaged in
looking at the dogs that at first she did
not sso him, but when he rounded the
trunk she suddenly caught sight of the
now enemy, drew back with quick
growl. glanced this way and that, as if
measuring the chances, and, perhaps,
would have jumped. when the climber
deftly struck her from behind and down
she went, with a scream of rage into the
red mouths below. The blood and fur
flew, for puss was game, and not few
good dogs backed out, wiping their heads
and ragged ears. But the game was up,
and it was with great difficulty that the
skin was saved for the rug which is the
trophy of the wildcat hunt.
Hunting this short tailed feline is
feature of southern California out door
sports. The deep canons that radiate
down from the Sierra Madres form their
retreat and that of large game in general.
After a rain the hunts are organized, and
then the paw marks are distinctly seen
and the scent fresh, and, as the storm
clouds blow away from the mountain
sides and the warm sun comes out the
bay of the hounds of some sportsman is
nearly always heard. The wildcat of
this country Is a large, powerful animal,
approaching the lynx, also found here, i'll
size and general appearance, and large
enough to inilict dangerous wounds upon
man or beast.
On one occasion the hounds came upon
81 fresh scent in an extremely narrow
place in the canon, where precipitous
rocks rose on one side and heavy brush
ON the other. The dogs rushed into the
latter, aud a moment later large cat
bounded into the narrow stream and
began an Intellectual scramble up the
rocky sides. \ bullet caught her before
she had gone thirty feet, and, turning
with a snarl Of rage, sho leaped directly
into the air, fell upon the neck of n
broncllo, dismounted tho rider in the
| melee and before she could be dislOdged
| tore cnI lIcGrated the animal in fear
full manner. Kittens are often seen in
play to take one another in their mouths
and to scratch with their hind feet. and
it was this plan that was adopted by the
cat She fastened her claws into the
broncho's neck. and with her sharp hind
| claws ripped and clawed until the animal
| was mass of blood and lacerated flesh,
then fcl among the dogs, to be torn to
| pieces amid protest that showed it to be
among the gamost animals.
'.You may talk about your mountain
Hon. said an old hunter as we rode
slowly up the Arroyo one early morning
after the rain, with the whimpering dogs
all about, ''but 1 would rather take my
chances with one any time than with
pair of wildcats ut close quarters. 1t just
seems as if cat loses its head like. They
know they're caught, and they are just
bound to have it out if it takes all sum-
MGR. They fight worse when there is n
pair, just like mountain lion. Phila-
delphia Times.